Struggling With Your New Year’s Resolution To Quit Smoking?

16 Jan Struggling With Your New Year’s Resolution To Quit Smoking?

Here Are More Reasons To Keep Trying….

Smoking is a really, really bad habit and kills over 4 million people across the world every year, according to recent studies.

This isn’t new information for anyone, and you’re especially likely to understand its implications for your health, if you’re trying to quit.

Smoking has endless bad effects on the body, including your dental health. Dental problems that can be caused by smoking are:

● Stained teeth

● Salivary gland infections

● Unpleasant breath

● Plaque build up

● Bone loss

● The potential for white patches in the mouth

● Gum disease risk is increased

● Healing can take longer

● Dental implants are less likely to succeed

● An increased risk of oral cancers

Smoking & Gum Disease

Smoking can increase the risk of gum disease and is known to have an effect on the cells in the gums. This effect on the cells is negative and can make a smoker more likely to get gum disease and other infections. Healing is also impaired. Unfortunately, gum disease can get really serious and lead to tooth loss and a loss of bone and gums in the mouth.

Smoking & Oral Cancer

Smoking is known to be a leading cause of many cancers including lung cancer, bladder cancer, oral cancer, kidney cancer and stomach cancer, and causes an increased risk in many other types as well. Oral cancer in particular is widely attributed to smoking, and statistics show that over 90% of oral cancer in the UK alone, is attributed to lifestyle habits like smoking.

What To Do About It

If you are struggling to kick the habit following a new year’s resolution to quit, hopefully this extra information has helped to reignite your desire to quit. If you’re feeling a little stuck, or you’re just looking into quitting, there are many different things you can do to help yourself become smoke free.

Speak To Your GP Or Pharmacy

Your GP or pharmacy can advise you on different products and support services that will help you quit smoking. There will be specific services for your area, which may involve support like free cessation products (depending on your entitlement), support groups, leaflets and regular breath checks to check the chemical levels in your body.

Have A Goal In Mind

Perhaps you always wanted to get your teeth whitened with your local Egham dentist, but you knew the effects would be ruined quickly because of your smoking habit? Having a treat like teeth whitening or other cosmetic dentistry at the end of 3 or 6 months without smoking could inspire you to keep going.

Set Up Ways To Get Over The Hurdles

No doubt there will be hurdles to overcome, such as peer pressure to have a cigarette with work friends, going on a night out where you would usually smoke after a drink, going for a coffee (a known trigger for smoking) and getting stressed. Think of every trigger and figure out how to avoid it pushing you off the wagon. Maybe you need to avoid coffee for a while, maybe you need to avoid nights out, perhaps you need some sugar free sweets to suck on instead of what would have been cigarette breaks at work?

Be Determined

It sounds really obvious but, no matter how many products you use and how much support you get, if you’re not ready to stop smoking, you won’t. You have to be determined to stop. Remember, it gets easier every single minute you manage to stay smoke free.

Talk To Your Egham Dentist About Smoking And Oral Health

Here at your local dentist in Egham we can advise you about cosmetic dentistry if you’re looking at booking a treatment as a treat for quitting smoking. We are also happy to discuss smoking and its effect on oral health with you, and advise you on an oral health regime for your new smoke free life. Please call us on 01784432641 and we will be more than happy to help.